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Ahimsa , vegetarian ,wool,milk,
Our Life Style and Non-violence 'The question arises as to how violence was born in man. His forbears-the primates-had already learnt the art of living together. Some other mammals had learnt it earlier. Then when and how did man become violent ? This is an unanswered question.Man too is a social animal He lives in society together with other fellow beings. But social life by its very definition implies a life of inter-relatedness. These relations have multiple bases. To satisfy his sex instinct man built the institution of the family and new relations came into being. He made friends to indulge his feeling of affection. His ego gave him a feeling of exclusiveness. More new relationships were born. But all of them were based on the utility principle. By themselves they have produced what might be called practical non-violence. Members of the family and friends do not normally fight with or torment one another. But is it true non-violence ? It certainly is not, for even the slightest case involving selfish interests explodes the relationship. This is true of husband-wife, brother-brother and all such relationships. Examples are not lacking where one has even murdered the other. Thus we must distinguish between what we have called practical non-violence and true spiritual non-violence, since the former is based on selfishness. It works through our behavior only so long as our selfish interests are not threatened. Thus it is clear that merely because man is a social animal, he cannot be regarded as a supporter of a non-violent society.' 'The question- 'How was violence born in man?' if seen in the above light turns out to be basically faulty. It (the question) is the result of a wrong understanding. When our as well as society's entire life style is based on practical non-violence, on the slightest pretext violence can flare up anywhere in the family, between communities, castes and sects. Those researching into non-violence have, I am afraid, not fully grasped this truth. That is why they keep asking the questing: 'How was violence born in man?' For a proper understanding of the whole matter, they have to first understand the concept of spiritual non-violence. Merely living together on the basis of practical non-violence is no guarantee of true and lasting non-violence.' 'There are many factors responsible for violence. We will go into them a little later. The point to be noted here is that the violence prevalent in society cannot be put an end to without developing spiritual non-violence and basing our life style on it. Let us then discuss what is meant by spiritual non-violence. It is based on the unity and equality of all souls - souls of all sentient. Once we know that every living being is subject to pain and pleasure in the same manner as we and that therefore we must never inflict any pain on them, never oppress and exploit them, never rob them of their rights, we are on our way to realizing the meaning of spiritual non-violence. And it is only this non-violence that can prevent the arson, loot, rioting and killings going on in society.' 'Everyone is familiar with Tamer lane, the cruel despot. He thought he could change the people using savage force and punishment, little realizing that it is only change of heart that can do so. Once three men were brought to him, of whom the first two were put to death. The third turned out to be the poet Ahmed. He asked the poet to evaluate the price of the two men who had been killed. Ahmed said they were each worth 500 sovereigns. 'How about me?' asked Tamer lane. The poet said that he was worth only 2 sovereigns. This infuriated the tyrant. He said that this costume alone was worth the money quoted. Ahmed replied that was exactly what he had evaluated, for as far as Tamer lane was concerned he was worth nothing, he being a man without any sympathy, kindness and feeling for justice.' 'The story has a lesson to teach. For evaluating somebody's or something's true worth the behavioral angle is utterly misleading, because it can evaluate only external things and attributes. Inner worth is best assessed spiritually. As far as non-violence is concerned, we talk profusely but think very little about it. Talk we have to, because it is recognized by everyone that non-violence is essential for a happy and peaceful life. Unfortunately the above consciousness is confined to practical non-violence, which, as we have seen, works on the utility principle. Spiritual non-violence has been all but ignored and so we have not experienced the unity and equality of souls.' ''Preksha'' Meditation enjoins its practitioners to perceive the soul by the soul, which also means that the tendency to look at the utilitarian style of living must be eschewed and the ability to look at the spiritual style must be cultivated. Sadly enough, we are in the habit of seeing, recognizing and knowing only the practical aspect and we have completely neglected the spiritual aspect. This is so because we have never understood the true meaning of non-violence. We must see both the aspects - the practical as well as the spiritual. The former is responsible for our laying the blame for everything on someone's door. This to my mind has veritably destroyed all possibilities of our understanding true non-violence. When we have closed all openings for spiritual non-violence and have opened all the doors and windows for relationships based on the utility principle, what right do we have to wish the violence to end ? The question 'How was violence born ?' should not therefore baffle us, for the seeds of violence has made it almost impossible for the people to know and understand true non-violence. Under normal circumstances when we discover amity and fellow-feeling among the members of the same family or community, or among neighbors, we are led to believe that there is plenty of non-violence in society, little knowing that what binds them all together is not so much non-violence as the utility principle. Once this principle comes under strain violence erupts. We have therefore to consider this matter with utmost seriousness. 'I believe that practicing meditation is a step towards spiritual excellence. To meditate is to see oneself, which in turn means seeing and searching the real base of non-violence. It appears we have misunderstood the meaning of meditation. Had it not been so, we would have given it much greater importance than to mere formal studies. Today people value education because without it, it is not possible to grow rich or get a good partner in marriage. Since they have little or no thought of spiritual goodness, they do not think it necessary to strive for it. If only we had given equal importance to both!' 'The search for spiritual non-violence is not possible through scientific instruments or history or even genetics. One has to investigate one's soul in order to know one's identity, one's true self. If will reveal to the investigator all those dispositions within him that encourage violence, he will then try to find out whether those dispositions can be neutralized. Such an analysis of the inner self is a prerequisite for the search of true non-violence, because the question of violence and non-violence, even while being related to external factors, is in essence an internal matter. And the root of the matter lies in man's dispositions. Ironically sociologists, economists and psychologists think that it is the general atmosphere or external circumstances that are responsible for the rise of violence. It is held that our behavior and conduct are governed by circumstances. Metaphorically such an understanding represents a situation in which the root is made to take the place of branches and vice versa. We are thus made to live under an illusion. And the only way to destroy it is the practice of meditation. The deeper one probes Inside, the newer the truths one discovers- truths that defy scientific explanation. We do not regard events that have happened as false simply because science has no explanation for them. Things are happening within us that science cannot explain, but they are all too true. By looking into our inside we can get to know the truth and succeed in striking a balance between the practical and spiritual aspects of life. We shall be able to answer the question how violence was born in man only after we have succeeded in integrating and balancing practical and spiritual non-violence.' 'DIETARY CODE OF PRACTICE AMONGST JAINS ' '1. PREAMBLE ' 'Jainism is one of the ancient religions of India. Absolute non-violence of thought and action is the very fundamental principle of the teachings of Jainism. Truthfulness, not to steal, equal right for all irrespective of cast, race, gender, age and religion, compassion and love for all living beings, and vegetarianism etc. are but different manifestations of the very principle of non-violence. Jains follow in the tradition of 24 Tirthankaras: the Master Preachers who enlightened the path to Salvation. The last and the most recent Tirthankara is Lord Mahavira who lived and preached during the period 599 - 527 BC. Archaeological evidence of the antiquity of Jainism dates back 5000 to 8000 years to the Mohan Jodaro and Harrapan civilizations of the Indus Valley. This makes vegetarianism, which is central to the Jains' way of life, as old if not more. In this paper we review some of the dietary codes recommended for practice by Jains. ' '2. WHY VEGETARIAN: DON'T PLANTS HAVE LIFE ? ' 'Traditionally vegetarianism is practiced by most cultures for reasons of compassion and reverence for life and non-violence, and the Jains are no exception to this. However, the definition and understanding of non-violence by Jains goes much deeper than others that this author has come across. The medical reasons for being a vegetarian are relatively a modern phenomenon mostly during the past half a century or so, during which period developments in the modern medicine have established links between certain ailments and the non-vegetarian diet. The very fundamental question that is often asked of a vegetarians is, "If non-violence is the basis of vegetarianism, why eat plant based foods? ' 'Don't plants have life?" In this respects Jains perhaps were the very first ones to acknowledge that plants are a life form, long before it was established by the modern day biological sciences. Jains recognize five physical senses namely touch, taste, smell, sight, and hearing as the principal attributes of living beings. All life forms in the universe are then classified in terms of the senses found in various creatures. Here as a word of caution, the senses should not be confused with other attributes of life, such as breathing, circulatory and nervous systems, heart and brain etc. that are dealt with as a separate topic in Jainism. The lowest life forms are those with only one sense, the sense of touch, such as the plant life, the highest life forms have all the fives senses such as human beings, mammals and most of the animal kingdom. The other intermediary life forms are the living beings with: two senses - touch and taste such as an earth worm, three senses - touch, taste and smell such as lice, and four senses- touch, taste, smell and sight for example mosquitoes. Senses appear in various living beings strictly in the order specified, i.e., touch is the most primitive of all senses, and hearing is the last sense found at the most advanced stage of development. No other combinations of these senses are known to exist. This in itself may be the most remarkable contribution of ancient Jains to the modern life sciences on the evolution of living beings. ' 'Having classified all life forms in this manner, and realizing that human beings must eat to derive their nutrition and to survive, life with only one sense, that is basically plant life, is the only permitted food for human consumption. To reconcile the principle of non-violence with the consumption of plant based diet, and to preserve plant-life as best as possible, there are strict dietary codes of practice recommended for day to day living. These include prohibition on the consumption of some vegetables and fruits, restrictions on procurement of produce, restrictions of times and timings, fasting, recommended occupations etc. Such codes, with their feasible interpretations follow. ' '3. GENERAL RESTRICTIONS ON PLANT BASED EDIBLES ' 'Vegetables and fruits that grow underground (roots of plants) are prohibited as a general rule. Clearly enough, to procure such vegetables and fruits, one must pull out the plant from the root, thus destroying the entire plant, and with it all the other micro organisms around the root. Fresh fruits and vegetables should be plucked only when ripe and ready to fall off, or ideally after they have fallen off the plant. In case they are plucked from the plants, only as much as required should be procured and consumed without waste. Grains, such as wheat, rice, maize, beans are obtained when the plants or the pods are dry and dead. Cutting down of green trees for wood or any other use is strictly prohibited. This is indeed a shining example of "conservation" in ancient times, which modern civilization is still trying to find ways for. ' 'An orthodox Jain fasts twice a fortnight, on the eighth and the fourteenth day of the full and the new moon cycles of the lunar calendar Some fast even thrice, including the fifth day of the two lunar cycles. During fasting only food prepared from grains is consumed and no green vegetables or fruits are eaten. ' 'In context of "root vegetables and fruits," most modern day Jains have devised self-imposed restrictions, not sanctioned by the religion. The majority of Jains with the exception of the orthodox, traditional ones, eat most of the underground vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, turnips etc. for reasons of social convenience (after all they fall within the regime of a vegetarian diet). Even amongst these exceptions, a large percentage still do not eat onions and garlic. The reasons advanced is their strong odor and that they are Tamsik, food that leads to lethargic action. ' 'It is a common saying that "One is what one eats". But Jains go much farther in defining the character of an individual. According to them "One is what one thinks", a fact that any criminal and social psychologist shall confirm. Violence in thought is as detrimental to the development of character as violence in action. To this extent, candies and chocolates shaped as animals are generally not consumed in Jain families. Imagine a child going around eating the "head of a rabbit" or "leg of a man". What will be his/ her psychology and personality? If you want to eat chocolate, just do that, why lace it with an unappetizing thought of cruelty to animals and/ or cannibalism. Orthodox Jains do not even eat cooked/ prepared food from the shops. All food should be prepared within the house under the most hygienic conditions. ' '4. SPECIFIC RESTRICTIONS ON FRUITS AND VEGETABLES ' 'A group of five fruits from the fig family, termed the Five Udambars in Jain literature are not permitted. Modern biological sciences have established that these fruits, produced by the pollination of flowers by wasps, are inhabited by species of wasps specific to each. For example, the entire life cycle of the wasp "Blastophaga grossorum" is completed within the fig "Ficus carica". The wasp lays its eggs in the gall flowers and dies, the eggs mature within the fig and produce male and female wasps. Wingless males fertilize the females and die, and the females emerge from the fig to restart the cycle. Thus the fig contains the remnants of the eggs and dead wasps. (RE: The Earth, It's Wonders, It's Secrets: NATURE'S MASTERPIECES, Reader's Digest Publication, pp99, 1994). ' 'Very orthodox Jains do not eat even multi-seeded fruits and vegetables such as brinjal (egg plant) and guava. Such fruits and vegetables are often found to contain worms, although this may not be the case with the use of insecticides in farming. But what do the advocates of health food and environmental conservationists have to say about the use of insecticides and chemical fertilizers? Some years ago, this author personally carried out a controlled but informal experiment to affirm this. Very clean and smooth brinjal and guavas, with no mark or blemish on the outside and having no external evidence of a worm entering it were found to have hives of worms inside. On discussing this find with fellow biologists in academia, it was explained that certain insects lay their eggs in the flower that are sealed inside these fruits and vegetables and develop in to worms leaving no indication on the external surface. This is somewhat similar to the life cycle of the wasp in the fig. These days, although most Jains will eat such fruits and vegetables, they generally cut and carefully examine them before cooking, whereas the most common Indian method of cooking brinjal among other communities is to roast it whole, till it bursts with steam, and then prepare it for eating without any concern for worms inside, and how it may effect one's health. ' 'Cauliflower and broccoli that have velvety surfaces are not consumed by orthodox Jains. Very tiny flee like flying insects that grow in and around the farms, get stuck on to their velvety surfaces, and can not be fully removed in spite of careful washing. ' 'Mushrooms and fungus are not used by Jain families because they are said to grow under unhygienic conditions and are parasites. Honey, vinegar, molases and wine of course are a taboo. Vegetables, like jack fruit, that bleed on cutting and when prepared have the appearance of cooked meat are not very appetizing to most Jains. ' 'Cabbage should be peeled layer by layer, each leaf cleaned and washed before cutting and cooking, because there may be insects and worms resident in between the leaves, although these days not many cut cabbage in this manner. Other leafy vegetables, such as spinach etc., should also be inspected and cleaned leaf-by-leaf to prepare for cooking and eating. '